The Dead of False Creek

Journal Through Time Mysteries #1

by Sarah M. Stephen

He chases crooks. She dusts off maps. With important men vanishing, can one key document prevent death?

Vancouver, 1897. Jack Winston refuses to let his bloodline decide his vocation. Keeping his family connections secret as he joins the Constabulary, the rising detective works hard to make a name for himself on his own merit.

But when he investigates a missing young lawyer, he's shocked to find his own journal connects him to a woman claiming to be from the future.

Vancouver, 2017. Riley Finch adores history. With life pulling friends and family further away, the archivist throws herself into her new position cataloging police files from the nineteenth century. And her excitement with her research bears thrilling results when she finds a way to contact a policeman from the past.

Despite his well-founded suspicions, Winston struggles to wring answers out of his list of prime suspects. And as Riley risks her job to unearth useful information, she's inexplicably drawn to Jack's great-grandson but forced to keep both men in the dark. Can the pair forge a partnership across decades and solve an impenetrable crime?

The Dead of False Creek is the compelling first book in the Journal Through Time historical mystery series. If you like endearing duos, split narratives, and stunning twists and turns, then you'll love Sarah M Stephen's time-bending tale.

Genres: Mystery, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Canada, Fantasy, Historical

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description
A perplexing journal teams modern-day Riley with turn-of-the-century Jack as they try to piece together the clues of a frustrating mystery.

Disclaimers
Thank you to the author and Book Sirens for the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this work. To get my disclaimers out in the open, I should mention that having a free copy did not influence my review. However, this book is set in the city I love and a time that I've often daydreamed about which may have had a slight influence.

Setting
Vancouver is one of the stars of this story. Stephen's description of old Vancouver felt authentic. I've spent more years than I care to admit in the locations that the author paints with a generous brush and the vintage streets were spot on. Jack walked roads so true to life that I could smell the odours and hear the sounds of a young and brash Vancouver. Riley's museum also was credible placing the archivist in the basement to do her work amidst the dust of accumulated relics.

Characters
Both Jack and Riley were immediately likeable and sympathetic characters and I found myself cheering them on and encouraging them to progress. I could see myself being friends with both of them. Many bit-parts were less fleshed out, but that just made the stars shine a little more brightly.

Plot Mechanics
The device (the journal) used by Stephen to connect the two was, perhaps, a little contrived and it's not entirely a fresh idea. To be honest, short of actual time travel, I can't think of a way the author could have brought the two together that wouldn't have seemed artificial. And I loved the fact that they worked together in this way. It made the book.

Final Thoughts
I was drawn to request this book based on the title alone. The Dead of False Creek is both eerie and ominous. (Also, as a long time resident, I knew exactly where we were headed.) The book cover is beautiful and inviting. I was attracted by the pretties, but the story far surpassed my expectations. I will happily wait the year that it takes for the next book in the series to drop, but I will be first in line to snag a copy when it does.

Recommended.

Many thanks to BookSirens and Sarah M. Stephen for this free copy. As always, my opinions are my own, honest and true.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It was just okay. I think the premise had a lot of potential; the execution was just really lacking overall. The writing felt juvenile and there were inconsistencies with the plot as well. However, I loved it was set in Vancouver, though, and wish there had been fleshing out of the city both in the past and present.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘What was the journal a sign of?’

A nineteenth century detective, a twenty-first century archivist and a journal which connects them.
In 1897, Detective Jack Winston is trying to find a missing man. In 2017, Riley Finch is working as a museum archivist in Vancouver, cataloguing police files from the nineteenth century. She comes across Jack Winston’s journal.

The story unfolds in alternate chapters: Jack trying to solve a missing person case which, when a body is found, could be an accidental death or might be murder. And Jack discovers that more than one man has disappeared. Riley is torn between her work as an archivist and a desire to research the cases Jack is investigating. Somehow, the diary enables them to communicate with each other. Neither Jack nor Riley accepts this portal of communication easily but once convinced it works, they embrace it.

Jack is filled with self-doubt. The disappearance of his older brother Ellis has changed his life, and while his family connections have landed him a position as a detective, he wants to prove his worth. Riley’s research in the present provides Jack with some additional information, enabling him to investigate more thoroughly.

I quite enjoyed this novel with its dual storylines and mystery. I wonder if Jack would have (eventually) identified the culprit without Riley’s help? In a neat twist at the end, Riley contacts one of Jack’s descendants.

This is the first book in Ms Stephen’s Journal Through Time Mysteries: the second book is planned for publication in 2022. I am keen to read it.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

✂️ The Dead of False Creek ✂️
A Journal Through Time Mystery
Journal Through Time Mysteries Book 1
✒️ Sarah M Stephen
https://www.facebook.com/sarahmstephe...
Release Date 10/01/2021
Publisher WZE Press
➪ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FH3DVCP/...

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯

He chases crooks. She dusts off maps. With important men vanishing, can one key document prevent death?

Vancouver, 1897. Jack Winston refuses to let his bloodline decide his vocation. Keeping his family connections secret as he joins the Constabulary, the rising detective works hard to make a name for himself on his own merit. But when he investigates a missing young lawyer, he's shocked to find his own journal connects him to a woman claiming to be from the future.

Vancouver, 2017. Riley Finch adores history. With life pulling friends and family further away, the archivist throws herself into her new position cataloging police files from the nineteenth century. And her excitement with her research bears thrilling results when she finds a way to contact a policeman from the past.

Despite his well-founded suspicions, Winston still struggles to wring answers out of his list of prime suspects. And as Riley risks her job to unearth useful information, she's inexplicably drawn to Jack's great-grandson but forced to keep both men in the dark.

Can the pair forge a partnership across decades and solve an impenetrable crime?
The Dead of False Creek is the compelling first book in the Journal Through Time historical mystery series. If you like endearing duos, split narratives, and stunning twists and turns, then you'll love Sarah M Stephen's time-bending tale.

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

Can time and distance add a different insight to the case …

I do believe this is my first dual time read. Until now, none had caught my attention enough to want to read it. It is sure the mystery and paranormal sides helped to tip the scales.
Jack has turned his back to his legacy, needing to make his own mark in the world, a different one. His older brother’s disappearance turned his world upside down, then opened him to a different life. So he has his doubt about his abilities to solve crimes, still he is one to look at a case from every side, never overlooking a clue. He is kind to his colleague and his breeding allows him to navigate more easily among the wealthy.
Riley has finally landed her dream job, but she never expected during her research to find an intriguing diary. What she thought to be a prank is turning into the adventure of her life. One which connect her with a man from an other time, an other life, an other job. But she is torn between what she can write or not, plus she has her own job to accomplish, how to combine both.

It was so much fun to see them tiptoeing around the diary, each making its own experiences before accepting the impossible was probable.
The case’s culprit is soon obvious, but his reasoning and methods surprised me.
I loved following those two, Jack doing his best but limited by his era’s lack of true forensic services. He mostly has his brain and deductive skills, while Riley is struggling between what she can divulge and the amounts of documents left for her to dig into.
So I wonder how their relationship will turn in the future, will they continue hold to back as they are both locked in their own time or is there way for them to interact more outside the diary…

I decided to overlook some details as I hope they will be corrected for release day, like the woman Huntington is in love with mentioning early what new career he wanted to pursue, it took Jack quite some time to learn/acknowledge it, then Chase last being seen at his club on the evening then it is said to be in the afternoon instead of later.

In all, this first book intrigued me, how the characters processed in their researches, the dual time narrative, it left me eager to read the next one.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

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[Bibliophileverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good with a touch of horror and fantasy. I loved the characters and plot. The most eye catchy element is its cover. I really enjoyed the book and would award it 4 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read the book.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical mystery has an unusual twist, in that the two protagonists working together to solve murders exist over a hundred years apart.
The first protagonist, Jack Winston, is a young and inexperienced Vancouver police detective who lives in 1887. Vancouver of that time was a rougher, much less populated place, with many men passing through on their way up north, hoping to strike it rich. The city has its share of the wealthy also, though the community is very small and everyone knows everyone. One of these men went missing, and Detective Jack Winston has been trying to find him, keeping notes in his journal of his minimal progress.
The other protagonist, Riley Finch, works at a Vancouver museum in 2017 as an archivist. She’s new to her job, and is nervous about doing a good job. Her first assignment is to organize the old items from the Vancouver police service. Riley finds one of Jack Winston’s journals amongst the items, and by accident, discovers she can communicate through time with Jack, using his journal. The two begin collaborating on his case, and become friends as they work together.

This was an enjoyable historical mystery. Being familiar with some of the locations gave me added pleasure in imagining Jack’s 1887 Vancouver Streets, some of which are now pretty residential areas.
The characters were likeable, though I feel the author did a much better job drawing Jack Winston’s personality than Riley Finch’s. I got a good picture of the man trying to define himself away from his industrialist father, and who still misses his elder brother, who vanished years earlier. The only things I could definitively say about Riley, by contrast, were that she was frequently nervous, fascinated by the past, and diligent.
I liked the writin otherwise, and, in particular, loved the small passages the two wrote to each other in Jack’s journal, initially only about the case, but gradually opening up about themselves.
The mystery was not that difficult to figure out, with both Jack and Riley missing fairly obvious clues in the case, which I’ll put down to their inexperience. I also liked the somewhat abrupt end to Jack’s case—not every case can end in an arrest, and as it looks like there will be another book, I look forward to them both honing their detection skills.

Thank you to Netgalley and to BooksGoSocial for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Ashley ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the premise of this book and the beautiful cover. The story follows a Detective Winston from the late 1800s investigating the disappearance of prominent men. Fast forward to present day and we meet Riley, a young girl who has found a job at a museum restoring old police files. She comes across an old journal belonging to the detective and the two find out they can communicate with one another through writing in the pages of this journal. The duo then works together to try to solve these crimes.

The author does a good job of drawing readers in right off the bat and smoothly transitions between the present and past. The one qualm I found with this book was that it contradicted itself a lot.

For example, at one point the author states that Riley, the present day main character, goes to sit on her couch. In the next sentence she is actually sitting in her reading nook made by her and her sister with its own special chair. So not the couch. Another example, Winston, the main character from the past, has a journal he keeps in his locked desk at work. In the next chapter that desk is now at the boarding house he resides in.

All in all these things don’t take away from the story necessarily but it was noticeable as it happened several times. The plot of the story itself was good and I would give this author another try.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought this worked as an exciting and fun mystery novel, with some interesting twists that weren't too out there to not have guessed, but also weren't too obvious. The writing style was fun and simple and I really enjoyed it, and the majority of the characters were fun to read for and about.

My main problem is with a major component of the book, which is that I felt like Riley's end of the story didn't add anything to the plot at all. It added an unknown fantastical element to an otherwise mundane story, and as a character she never really provided much in the way of advancing any plot, bar a single instance. Most of her chapters were focused on her contemporary life or her obsession with the journal, which wasn't necessary to the novel in my opinion.

I understand the author wanted to try something fun and interesting to spice up the already densely populated mystery genre, but I just feel like it wasn't quite enough to be of any benefit. That being said, it was a fairly interesting concept with some promise, so I would be interested in reading the series further to see what the author does with the idea, and how they develop it.

Like I said, however, the mystery focused in the past was actually very interesting and enjoyable, and well worth the read.

[Pamela Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Sirens eARC. This first novel in the Journal Through Time series was engaging. Jack is a police detective in 1897 Vancouver searching for missing men. Riley is a museum researcher and archivist in present day preparing an exhibit on the history of the early Vancouver Constabulary. She finds a leather bound journal that mysteriously connects her to Jack. The ensuing collaboration on the investigation and developing relationship is interesting. The resolution of the case is plausible although unusual in that time period. The characters came to life on the page and the author did an excellent job of presenting the paranormal plot mechanism without making it overwhelming. I would read more of this series and recommend it to those who enjoy historical mystery.

[Lotte_ladybird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you BookSirens for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book is set in Vancouver in 1897 and present day (2017) Vancouver. I was a bit worried if that would work and how Jack (1897) and Riley (2017) would communicate, but it worked really well and I loved the story. I actually thought Riley’s story would be the main focus of the book, but I was pleasantly suprised that it was mostly Jack, mixed with some Riley. That said, I feel like I don’t know Riley very well, but that will hopefully come in book 2. All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I can’t wait for book 2.

[Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn’t do it for me, I’m afraid. An intriguing premise but amateurish writing and plot inconsistencies contributed to it being a bust. Big pet peeve: no explanation of how they were able to communicate across time, and both of them readily accepted it and began in-depth conversations using Jack’s journal. Biggest pet peeve: every single time it switched POV, not only was the character's name listed as the chapter heading, but the beginning sentence started with “Riley Finch did etc etc” or “Detective Jack Winston etc etc.” It started out as an annoyance and quickly became impossible to ignore. Yes, we know by now those are their first and last names, and we, the reader, can follow shifting points of view. No need to bludgeon us with redundancy.

Harsh but honest review, my apologies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Bookish Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review


Vancouver 1867, Detective Jack Winston, newly arrived is put on the case of finding a missing man, Walter Huntington.

Vancouver, 2017, Riley Finch, the new museum's archivist, is on a mission to create the best exhibit story from Vancouver's past history.

After discovering a journal that wasn't in the catalogue with abilities to transport her words through time. Riley Finch sets out to uncover the truth about the journal and forms a new relationship with Detective Jack Winston, who owns the Journal.

Without knowing so much about this book, I enjoyed this so much.
Every chapter didn't stall and the middle had so much action I couldn't stop reading.

It was interesting to follow a crime committed in the 18th century through the eyes of a 21st century archivist.

The plot was superb and it did its job as a mystery novel. The anticipation of trying to uncover the culprit responsible for the disappearance of the residents of Vancouver who had bright futures.

Each Character showed so much emotion. I especially liked Riley Finch who had to weigh her choices, of wanting to help Detective Jack Winston or protecting the future from the past.

You get to experience historical Vancouver through the dialogues, dressing, setting. The little details brought this to life and it was exciting to suspect everyone and still not figure out who was responsible.

There's a second book in the Journal Through Time series and trust me you'll definitely want to read that as well.

[Andria Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 ⭐ rounded up. RTC

[Farida Amr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be provided an ARC for this book via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

(this review contains mild spoilers)

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but this book was very character-driven rather than veering off into pure historical content, and the mystery itself kept me engaged all the way through.

A quick summary: the book follows two protagonists. First, we have museum archivist Riley Finch, living in 2017. On the other side, we have Detective Jack Winston, living in 1897. Despite the centuries between them, the two protagonists strike up the unlikeliest of partnerships when they find a mysterious journal that connects them. Throughout the novel, the two build an emotional connection while Riley helps Winston with an investigation into a double disappearance, and he helps her with a museum exhibit she's working on.

What I liked:
- I found the mystery itself very interesting. I figured out the culprit about halfway through, but I certainly did not understand the motive until the characters did.
- I really loved the characters, especially Winston who I feel was the most well-developed. Winston's mentor relationship with Miller was really sweet, I adore their dynamic. I found myself surprisingly attached to some of the secondary characters like Riley's sister, as well as her potentially-future-love-interest Jack. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them!
- There was a lot of subtle commentary and insight about the difference between the times (such as Winston assuming Riley was male, and some discussions about class and respectability). However, it never came off as forced, something I really appreciated.
- Police detective mysteries and historical fiction are among the most "serious" or sombre genres of fiction, at least in my experience. However, I found this book full of sharp wit, humor, and irony. It was quite a refreshing change from my expectations.

What I didn't like:
- The one LGBTQ+ character, Riley's friend Jules, is in exactly one scene. He leaves to a different continent and no background is given about his relationship with Riley, his partner, or his character in general. It felt like a cheap attempt at checking the representation box without any of the effort, so I hope to see more of him in future books.
- I connected the dots about the link between the two missing men much much earlier than Winston did. It kept taking me out of the book that he didn't notice that connection, especially since he is otherwise shown to be very detail-oriented and intelligent. I went back through the book to make sure, and the character had the same information I did which led me to connect the dots, so I was frustrated by this.
- I feel like the characters didn't explore the mystery of this journal enough. They just accepted the situation without much investigation into why it was happening. I'm again hoping we dive deeper into this later in the series.

Overall conclusion: It's a really great read, I'd highly recommend it! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series :)

[Urna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dead of False Creek by Sarah M. Stephen is a promising beginning to a mystery series with a very intriguing premise - a nineteenth century detective Jack and a twenty-first century archivist Riley communicating across time through diary entries. I was drawn to the story for many reasons, not least of which is my own professional interest as a historian who often goes archive-diving and empathizes with Riley's passion for reconstructing the past and anxieties about projecting the present on to it. In Riley's case, however, that projection could potentially have very real consequences in how it affects history as she knows it. Even as Jack seeks help from her as a researcher from the future in solving crimes that are happening in his present, Jack and Riley begin forming a close connection out of their bewildering and inexplicable circumstances.

I enjoyed the pacing of the plot and was drawn into the story by the third chapter. I found myself invested in the characters and what were at stake for them, though I felt that way a little disproportionately for the characters in the past rather than the present. I did not expect to feel so deeply for the characters and their circumstances, even those with smaller roles in the story and I commend the author for writing them so poignantly. I was also moved by the strange play of emotional closeness and temporal distance between the lead characters and found myself caring deeply about what it might lead to in the future.

The dual perspective narration of the story worked in favour of the premise as far as the structure of the novel goes. It was not clear to me, however, whether the the writing of Riley's perspective was deliberately designed to obfuscate her motivations and intentions, because at several points in the story it is not entirely clear why she is doing certain things or reacting the way she does. On the flip side, some parts of the writing of Jack's perspective seems to meander into overly elaborate explanations of his motivations and intentions. The result is that we as readers get to know Jack much better than we get to know Riley. While it is understandable perhaps to focus more on the character who is historically farther removed from the intended audience of the book, I feel like fleshing out Riley's character would make for an even more engaging read, and something I would definitely like to see in future books in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book did have some flaws, overall I enjoyed it. I was not particularly bothered by the how/why of it all as it may be revealed in another book. The dual storyline from the two perspectives of the journal writers added a different perspective to how crimes were seen and dealt with in two different time periods. I found Riley from the present time to be rather underdeveloped and lacking of much personality while Detective Jack Winston was the more interesting character. Perhaps they both will be more fleshed out in the future. I was drawn to the book by its lovely cover and am glad I spent some time within its pages.

[Dennis Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my genre! I’m into history, not time-bending fictional murder mysteries. Why then am I going to the trouble of reading and reviewing this book?

The answer starts on Vancouver’s False Creek Sea Wall. Each morning near Science world, I plant myself on a bench to read and write. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know many whose morning rhythm takes them by. On one particular morning, a frequent runner slowed to a stop, paused her earbuds and asked me:

“Are you a writer?”

“Why yes, I am,” I said with a twinkle in my eye, “A writer who is a thoroughly undiscovered talent at the moment!”

“Me too!” She said with a grin, “but hopefully not for long!”

Sarah M. Stephen is no longer an undiscovered talent; her moment has come. The childhood dream of becoming a writer is a reality. The Dead of False Creek is the first in her series, A Journal Through Time Mystery.
Constable Charles Peck of the Vancouver Police with his bicycle in Stanley Park, 1899. City of Vancouver Archives

Jack is a constable in Vancouver in 1897, doing his best to stamp out crime. Riley is an archivist in 2017, doing her best to recover and promote the rich history of Vancouver. The two become intertwined when Riley uncovers a journal buried in the archives at the police museum. This journal allows her to see what Jack is writing in 1897 as he writes it. Additionally, Jack can also see what Riley writes in his journal.

Once the two overcome the shock of time-travelling words on a page, they get down to the business of solving a triple murder. Jack worries if he will be able to find the killer, while Riley worries about altering history if she gives him too many clues. She also worries about getting fired for swiping the magic journal from the museum. Riley helps Jack enough so that he can figure out who is committing the murders. However, the culprit manages to escape Jack’s clutches, thus preventing an altered history, but at the same time giving Jack a slight sense of closure. Though justice does fail to be served upon the perpetrator. The story ends so that the door is left wide open for more adventures with this crime-fighting duo separated by a century and yet connected.
Looking north across False Creek, Vancouver, showing the Granville Street Bridge and the CPR Kitsilano Trestle Bridge, ca. 1890. Courtesy City of Vancouver Archives via Wikimedia Commons
Sarah M. Stephen. Photo by Kent Kallberg

If you like history… Built into the narrative are lots of little historical snippets of Vancouver’s early days. This is a tremendous value add for local history buffs like me.

If you like time travel without the time travel… I’m personally not a fan of time travel stories. My brain rejects the complexity and consequence of it. But this book stops short of full-on time travel since only words do the travelling. The correspondence between Jack and Riley also helps to piece together the mystery in a fresh and creative way.

Some room for improvement… Writing compelling dialogue between characters is no easy task, and while Sarah has her moments in creating meaningful and believable conversations, there were other times when I winced a little in sympathy with my own fledgling efforts.

The book wraps up cleverly. The murderer and his motivation for taking life come as a bit of a surprise; however, the precise details of how these complicated and challenging murders were carried out are left to the reader’s imagination, which for me diminished the overall effectiveness of the book.

But these are trifles. Sarah, the smiling runner from the seawall who wishes me well on soggy Vancouver mornings, wrote a book — and a good one at that.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dead of False Creek hooked me by chapter 3. As soon as I was introduced to Jack Winston and Riley Finch, I wanted more. Jack is a detective from the late 19th century and Riley is an archivist in the early 21st century, and their story begins with a journal that defies all logic. While Riley is working on a museum exhibit, she stumbles across the journal and finds herself drawn to write in it. After realizing her mistake, she keeps a close eye on the journal and realizes that it is updating, in real time, with the thoughts of Detective Winston. Detective Winston uses the journal to keep track of his missing person case: a young man has disappeared and it is a race against time to find him. Detective Winston also realizes that the journal is connected to Riley, and he accepts her help as an archivist to help him find the missing man.

This book is a very fun read. Each chapter shifts focus between Jack in the 19th century and Riley in modern times. Jack’s chapters are interesting and fast paced, following him through the city as he interviews suspects. These sections helped me to put myself into the story, getting into his head and becoming emotionally involved in the case. The amount of detail and description was well done and at no point did I find myself lost. I appreciate when I can read a novel about a place I have never been, but it still feels familiar. I enjoyed reading about Jack’s interactions with both the fellow officers at the constabulary as well as the suspects in the case. The dialog was interesting and flowed naturally.

Riley’s chapters in the novel took a backseat for me and I found myself looking forward to Jack’s sections more and more. While critical to the plot, Riley’s interactions didn’t hold the suspense or gravity the way that Jack’s story did. This is not to say that these sections were boring, they just didn’t hold the suspense the way the 19th century sections did.

When I first read the synopsis for the book, I was slightly concerned about the journal that transcends time. It was something that could very easily go wrong, with the journal turning into a Deus Ex Machina plot device, but I am delighted to say that story mechanic was incredibly well written. I was worried that it would feel forced, but it felt natural to the flow of the story. I may not have particularly cared about Riley, the story wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without her.

The mystery itself was my favorite part. I loved being kept on my toes and guessing until the very end. I thought I had it all figured out several times, but I am happy to say I was wrong because what actually happened was much more interesting. I enjoyed the fact that even though I guessed some parts of how everything would play out, I never could figure out everything. This made me even more excited about the reveal and kept me on my toes until the very end. As a final thought, I have been obsessing about this book since I finished, and that is always the sign of a good book.

I found out that there will be a second book coming out next year and I am already upset it isn’t coming out sooner. I can’t wait to see where this story goes and how some of my lingering questions will be answered.

4.5/5 ⭐️

I received this book from NetGalley and the author in exchange for my honest review.

[VT Dorchester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was, over all, a fast, fun read - I read it in it's entirety over one Sunday.

I was drawn to reading this novel because it is set in Vancouver, a city that I have visited, and it is written by a Vancouverite. Being honest, on my few trips to Vancouver, I have not understood what it is about the city that so many people seem to love - it regularly tops "best city" lists, but, and I admit I haven't spent long there nor have I been there very recently - I find it to be a bit dirty, noisy, and (maybe I've just been to the wrong neighbourhoods and listen to the news too much) struggling with a homeless population with drug addiction as a significant problem. At the same time you hear about very expensive properties being purchased. It is a multi-cultural city, one of the things that I remember from an early passing visit is going to a Mongolian restaurant (long before such restaurants popped into being in my home city.) It is famous for Stanley Park, a sea-fronting downtown public green space, (which, unless I missed it, gets no mention in the book.) It seems to me that Vancouver is a complex city with significant cultural, ethnic, racial and economic diversity. As someone who now lives in the interior of British Columbia, it also feels like it's politics are a world apart from the rest of the province.

I was hoping to be brought into Vancouver as a place more than I was during this novel. I was hoping to have explained to me, through the characters, what makes it such a loveable place to many.

I was disappointed that I didn't get that - and especially disappointed that I didn't get as much of a flavour of Vancouver today as I did of Vancouver yesterday. I feel that there was an opportunity lost there, and an opportunity to highlight the contrast and similarities between historic Vancouver and Vancouver today. Both main characters in this book must love the city - I wish they would have shown that more to me.

I also found a few instances of details that seemed to be minorly inconsistent within the story, but that may have just been due to me not concentrating fully at all times. There may have been some minor grammar faults, but then again, maybe not, my grammar isn't perfect!

There were a few moments when I felt like Riley, the modern character, was surprisingly ignorant about how Jack the character from the past would react to certain things, particularly since she is an archivist working at a museum and is presumably into history. (She didn't think that he would assume someone suddenly writing to him named Riley was a guy??!!)

On the plus side, this was an easy book to read, with pace, and there were some unexpected twists that took me by surprise . I'm not sure I agree with what Riley says about the bad guy at the end of the book, but that's okay.

Overall, this was an entertaining, quick-read mystery and I wish the debut author all the best as she expands the series.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Vancouver, a twenty-first century archivist and a nineteenth century detective join forces to solve murders via a mysterious time-traveling journal. The narrative switches between the modern day and the past. As Detective Jack Wilson searches for a young lawyer who has disappeared in 1897 Vancouver, archivist Riley Finch discovers in the 2017 Vancouver History Museum a strangely new-looking journal belonging to Detective Wilson. Through some unexplained mechanism, the two begin communicating by writing in the journal. As the 1897 mystery deepens with the discovery of the lawyer’s dead body and the disappearance of a second man, Riley researches and puts together an exhibit on the early Vancouver police department and helps Detective Wilson solve the mystery. They develop a bond and Riley meets one of Detective Wilson’s ancestors, who becomes a romantic interest.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The premise captured my attention because I love time travel and mysteries. It’s a great idea. The mystery was intriguing enough to propel me through the book. Stephen does a good job of bringing to life late-nineteenth century Vancouver. We get a clear picture of how it looked, the powerful interests in the city and the type of people who ventured west to a rough-hewn frontier town. She fleshes out Detective Winston with some compelling backstory. I also liked the idea of Riley getting involved with Winston’s ancestor. And the mystery had a satisfying conclusion. The side characters are well-drawn, providing additional texture and heft to the story.

On the other hand, it’s clear from the get-go that this is an inexperienced author. The writing can be clunky and awkward. Riley is thin as a character and extremely socially awkward, which I found annoying and weird. There are scenes that seem unnecessary and boring which slows down the story. There’s a lot of Winston questioning people and finding out literally nothing, which seems like filler instead pulling the story forward. There are some strange, inexplicable coincidences that I can only guess are put in as red herrings, e.g. the two men who disappeared both wanting to open a clothing store.

Most importantly, we never find out anything about how the time-traveling journal works! You can’t have this be the main driver of the story and explain nothing about it. This seemed like a complete cop-out to me. The two main characters write entries in the journal that magically appear in their time. They both have a copy of the same journal. There’s even a hint that they can physically feel each other through the journal. It makes no sense and it’s never explained. AT ALL. I kept waiting for it and it never came. Not even a hint. This the biggest flaw of the book.

So overall, I finished the book and enjoyed it to some degree. But I don’t think I’d read a second installment and I’m not sure I would’ve finished it if it hadn’t been an ARC. I can’t honestly recommend it.

Thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review posted on my blog From Ink to Paper

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First before I get into my review I just have to say that I love the cover of this book. I think the colors are so pretty and the design is great. Just had to get that out there.

I thought overall this was a fairly good start to a series. The premise is unique and I liked the idea a lot. You get a lot of dual timeline novels but you don’t really see them intersecting like they do in this one. You are able to see how it pans out for each character because they are communicating through a book. I also liked that if they were both touching the book they could almost feel each other. I do think there was something slightly missing in this book. I just didn’t feel the pull that kept me coming back to find out what happened next.

The book is written well and flows nicely between the timelines, which I like because nothing is worse than a dual timeline where you have to go back and go wait what happened before to get us here. I think the plot was good, it had some unique points to it and I liked that she was using her archivist job to help try and solve these murders. I thought it was interesting that somehow the connection between the 2 men wasn’t figured out by Winston earlier on. It was mentioned by both men’s families that they were interested in clothing and opening a shop so I found that odd that it took them a while to figure that out. I had a slight hint on who I thought might be behind it but I was surprised at the reason behind it and what ended up happening once they were found out.

The characters I thought were good and I liked that you learned a little about them as they got to know each other through their entries in the journal. I liked that in the beginning, they didn’t take too long to not believe what was happening, they went with it and this gave them someone to talk to about what was happening. I like that there was almost a slight romantic edge, but yet not really. You could tell if they were together in person it would probably be there. I do have hope for Riley and Winston’s grandson (you don’t really get as much of that as I thought from the description, instead you are dangled a thread and will surely find out what happens in the next book. I do think the way they interacted was cute). There aren’t a ton of supporting characters, you see Riley’s sister some and the Marshall helping Winston (he especially has a bigger role). I like that Winston interacts with him and they seem to have a friendship.

Overall I thought this was a good read. I do wish it had kept me pulling in a little more, however, I am still intrigued because of the uniqueness of it and definitely will check out the second one to see what other mysteries they solve.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book review (so bear with me).

The Dead of False Creek is full of mystery, intrigue, and delightful characters. This was my first cozy mystery (I’m pretty sure) and I wasn’t disappointed.

Riley Finch, an archivist, is eager to dive into her work at the museum. She gets a little too passionate about her work, making a horrible mistake on her very first day, which leads to some risky behaviour and the added suspense of wondering when/if she’ll get caught.

Jack Winston is a somewhat inexperienced Detective who is constantly doubting his abilities and wondering if he’s in over his head with his new position. This is due to his investigative skills being largely self taught and his Uncle being the one that secured him to the position.

I hope to see Riley & Jack both grow in confidence as the series progresses.

The relationship Riley & Jack developed through the journal was very sweet, they also make a great investigative duo. I was constantly trying to figure out who could be responsible for the happenings at False Creek - and there were a number of contenders. I just had to know what happened, and ended up finishing this book in about a day. The story kept me guessing until the very end.

Even still the question of what happened to Jack’s brother is still up in the air, and I hope to figure out more in the next book in the series - The Hanging at Hollow Tree. I would love to find out more about how this journal works as well. Will the connection stop when the journal runs out or is the connection there because of a special bond between Jack & Riley?

Style wise, the author provided just enough detail to allow the essence of the characters and story to shine through without being excessively wordy. I thought it was clear and concise.

I gave this book ⅘ stars because there was one inconsistency in the plot (leaving me a little confused for a few chapters), but it wasn’t enough to spoil the mystery or take the reader out of the story. I can’t say much for grammar because I’m no expert - but there wasn’t anything that stuck out to me. A few typos, but I expect that in any book.


* I received an advanced review copy for free from BookSirens (so thank you to them and the author!), and I am leaving this review voluntarily. *

[Carolyn Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley is an archivist in modern Vancouver; her investigative partner is a police detective in 1897 Vancouver. After working through the shock, of being able to communicate, they have a death, possibly a murder, to investigate.

Can Riley help the detective without changing the past and present? (Would she be less confused, but no more guided if she had read more good sci-fi? Yes.)

If it's murder, will there be another killing? What does Mrs. Melodia Spectre predict? Will she "appear" in another book in The Journal Through Time Series? Finding some of these answers will obviously depend on your future, but all questions are welcome!

This book starts a bit slowly. (We've been through this general scenario before, but the characters haven't.) And the investigation begins with a teeny tiny bit of withholding important information from our good detective. So hang in there, it gets much better.

Riley is a nervous sort, and not overly skilled at being sneaky, but she adapts and becomes a real asset. Jack (Detective Winston) is learning his way as well, being fairly new to the job, but he's honest, cares about people and the importance of his job, and he is driven to succeed. Exactly the sort of man you would want looking for you!

I really liked Jack. Riley too, later; there's no reason not to. Just not much personality shown, and insecurity as she starts a new job for the museum. Maybe Riley's character was less firm in the author's mind to begin with? The more the story progressed, the more I enjoyed it.

Jack was a complete character immediately. Details like his mustache seemed a long time coming, but I pictured him and his manner quickly. Other people as well.

I recommend this book. It's a good mystery, and fairly realistic. Although the journal gimmick is a bit cliché, it works for this police detective to have an archivist help him. I hope Riley shows more personality so we get to know her better than just as a distracted, mildly scattered, but good researcher.

4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and BookSirens for the free preview of this ebook!

[Scuffed Granny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like an historical murder mystery and I think that Sarah M. Stephen has created an enjoyable one in The Dead of False Creek. Based in Vancouver at the end of the twentieth century, the book follows the investigation of Detective Jack Winston into the suspicious death of a young man. At the same time, we have the narrative of a museum archivist called Riley who is compiling material for her first exhibition but in the present day.

I think that having a dual narrative can sometimes overcomplicate a read but Sarah M. Stephen combines the two so that they flow and the two stories and characters maintain their individuality whilst also interweaving with each other to provide interest. Jack and Riley are both likeable characters and the device that is used to link them adds an extra element to the books that make them more than just a detective story.

As well as the two main characters, the ones that Winston encounters during the course of his investigation are well drawn. This is not a book that centres on danger and there are suggestions of dark doings but don’t expect an edge of your seat thriller. However, if you like mysteries where the truth is revealed through steady progress, and a well-thought out storyline, then this will please.

The plot is not overly complicated, the book is easy to follow and the action unfolds at a good pace. I think that comparisons to Murdoch Mysteries are inevitable as Winston is the budding young detective and has, as his sidekick, an enthusiastic and keen constable called Miller, and the time period in which the book takes place is also similar, despite being set on the west coast.

The book leads to a satisfying conclusion where the mystery is resolved and sometimes that’s all that you need from a book – a good story, competent writing, likeable and believable characters and an ending that ties everything together. I think for a five star read, it would need to be more threatening and tense as I felt like it was more about the solving than the danger.

I read this book as an ARC. This review is an unbiased and true representation of my opinion of the book.

[Bo0kSLoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story threads the strands of time together to create a paradox around a seemingly ordinary journal that links the lives for Detective Jack from the late 1800's to historical archivist, Riley in 2017.

These two, seemingly singular lives soon find that fate or destiny has a way of reaching across the span of time to alter their plans life. Instead they find themselves pouring their thoughts to one another through the journey as Riley tries to help Jack in the present find a killer in the past before its too late. In this story, as always time runs short.

In some stories, the dual time-lines can cause confusion for the reader and often frustration if the story of kept in one reference for too long. The author does a wonderful job of circumventing this dilemma by the use of the journal to tie both eras. Just writing what one does can remind the reader what happened and also acts as a good segue into the next era's scene.

The characters were delightful and full of great depth that grew as the story progressed. There were only a few things that bothered me. Early on Riley found that Jack died young, drowned, but later he was old and married when he died. Obviously time changed, but nothing was noted in the story. It would seem like something important to me if I changed something in the past. Another thing is that there is almost this romantic air between the two, but with the space of time it seems illogical admitting can happen. What is the author planning? And last, the ending was very abrupt, though there is hope for another book but where can it go from here?

Overall it was a very satisfying read and I look forward to the next book

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to leave an honest review in exchange of a copy of this book **

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1897, Detective jack Winston investigates a missing man in Vancouver. He keeps the facts and his thoughts straight in his private journal that no one else touches, so he is dumbfounded when someone writes back to him. In 2017, Riley Finch works as a museum archivist and is puzzled when the journal she founds keeps getting new entries when no one has touched it. Connected across time, can these two find a killer?

I don't often read books with a basis in time travel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The idea of two people able to communicate across time with a journal was an intriguing one. The way it was presented here was...interesting. There were more instances of the supernatural than I was really comfortable with, but maybe I should have expected that with an unexplained time traveling journal?

While both characters were interesting, I didn't believe their reactions. They both accepted the unusual faster than I think anyone would, and began confiding personal information. Riley's point of view didn't add much to the actual mystery. She constantly worries that she will change history with what she says, but she gives the detective the information she finds. And it changes nothing and there are no consequences.

Since the majority of the story stays with the detective, I did end up liking him more. In some ways, he reminded me of Detective Murdoch from the tv show. However, as much as I like him, I was let down by the ending.

So, I would actually rate this somewhere around 3.5 stars, but rounding up to be generous. I don't know if I would continue in the series, but I might. Readers who enjoy time travel might enjoy this more than I did.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this eARC
In 1897, Jack Winston, a new Detective, in Vancouver is stuck solving the disappearance of a young man from a prominent family. He keeps a journal with his thoughts about his work. In 2017, Riley, an archivist, is fascinated with his journal when she discovers it in a box of files. They soon realise the pair can communicate via the journal through time. Can Riley help Jack solve this crime?

This book combines my two favourite genres, historical fiction and time travel/slip, and I wasn’t disappointed. I couldn’t put the book down and finished this off in one sitting.
The underlying mystery is complex, intriguing with a perfect amount of red herrings. I haven’t read much historical crime fiction set in the 1800s and set in Vancouver. The world-building was fresh and unique especially the descriptions of how Vancouver before it became a city. I liked how the author portrayed the tensions between the various classes.
I warmed to Jack and Riley. Their initial confusion about their connection through the journal felt real as did the development of their relationship. Riley’s increasing fascination with Jack’s life, career and descendants was understandable and well written- it could easily have come across as strange.
Perfect for fans
Historical crime fiction, time travel
Summary
I loved this book and almost found myself pre-ordering the next book ( not really possible with an eARC), The Hanging at Hollow Tree.

[Elle Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The interweaving of past and present was intriguing. Jack lives in 1897. Riley lives in 2017. They become unexpectedly connected by a seemingly magical journal that allows them to communicate across time. Jack is a police detective in Vancouver just as the city is booming from the rush West. Riley discovers Jack's journal in the archives of the museum where she works. She quickly realizes that she and Jack can not only communicate, but that she might be able to assist him in a murder investigation using the information in the archives. Meanwhile, Jack can help Riley prepare her first exhibit for the museum on early policing in the city. I found the premise to be very exciting. I wanted to know what was going to happen to both characters. Sometimes, when I read multiple POV books, I find myself more interested in some characters over others. Not the case with this book! The mystery was perfectly woven and kept me guessing. I loved the ending and I'm very excited to see that there will be another adventure for Jack and Riley. Lastly, I'll say that I love historical mysteries, especially when they bring something new for me to learn. This is the first one I've read set in Canada. I learned so much! I found myself going to Google to learn more. Highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Books nd Bruises · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me personally, the dead of false creek turned out to be the perfect (cosy) mystery I didn’t know I needed. I was curious to uncover how the connected journal would work and was not dissapointed. The split narrative of the book is enjoyable and reads fast & Riley and Jack are both super enjoyable characters. It’s fun to read the differences between 1897 Vancouver & 2017 Vancouver and to notice how things have changed, or not at all. It was a bit of a slow start for me, and Jack could have included some more details every now and then, but considering we see the start of the police force it is normal that his detective skills aren’t as tweaked yet as what we see in everyday life (and maybe us bookworms pick up from books, huh!). I was on the right track with my suspect pretty fast, but I think that is completely due my own fault given the fact I have a huge historical fiction/mystery addiction in both books and series. And it didn’t make the story any less enjoyable either! This was a fun easy read that makes you want to grab a cup of tea, pick a soft blanket and get cosy in the couch while you work hard to figure out who the bad guy is in this intriguing story. I loved it!

I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy. My opinion however is entirely my own.

[sarah ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story would be great for a movie! This book flips between 1897 and 2017 Vancouver. In 1897, Jack Winston, detective, keeps a journal while trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a young man. In 2017, Riley, archivist, finds his journal after discovering it in a box of files. Then, they realize they can communicate through time. Will Riley be able to help Jack solve the mystery?

Jack and Riley can communicate with each other through writing in the pages of his journal. I think that’s super unique and works perfectly in the story as the pair works to solve crimes.

I also kind of like that they’re both newbies but it does make for a lot of slow judgement on their end. I preferred the character of Jack because I felt that Riley just wasn’t fleshed out as much as Jack was. I also found the book was a bit slow to start. There were also few contradictions throughout the book where something was said to happen in x place, but then the following scene, it would be moved, or they would be elsewhere. Not enough for it to be concerning, but just noticeable.

Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot and would definitely read future mysteries in the series or by the author!